Slot vending-machine



S. CLAPERS.

SLOT VENDING MACHINE.

I APPLICATION FILED MAYZZ, 19I9. v 1, 347,683. Patented July 27, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Jaw W azm s. CLA'PERS.

SLOT VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZZ, 1919.

1,347, 683 Patented July 27, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2. Y'\

S. CLAPERS.

SLOT VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZZ I9|9 I 1,347,683. ate t d uly 27, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Q/MW g W UNITED STATES SALVADOR CLAPERS, or BALTIMSREQMARYLANDH I sLoTVENDING-MACHINE.

' Specification of Letters Patent." Patntea July 2!? 192() Applicationfiled May 22, 1919. Serial No. 298,951.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, SALVADOR CLArnRs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have 1nvented certain newand useful Improvements in Slot Vending-Machines, of which the followingisa specification.

This invention relates to coin-controlled vending machines, and moreparticularly a machine which delivers an article the price of which isless than the coin whichis required to operate the machine, and whichautomatically throws out with the article the correct change. Thus, ifthe price of the article is, say, nine cents, and a ten-cent piece isrequired to operate the 'IIlftClllIlB, then one cent will be thrown outwith the article delivered. It will be understood of course, that themachine is not limited to these particular coin values and the parts maybe arranged for various other com values.

The invention has for its object to provide a novel and improvedmachineof the kind stated, which is perfectly reliable in operation, andto this end,.-the-1nvent1on consists in a combination and arrangementofparts to. be hereinafter described and claimed.

Inorder that the invention may be better understood, reference is hadto. the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine, partly in section;

Fig. 2 is aside elevation of certain parts of the mechanism viewed fromthe side opposite to that of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 isra horizontal section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; r

Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an elevation showing a coin rest orsupport, and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the parts in anotherposition, with some of the parts appearing in Fig. 4 left off.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 10 denotes a cabinet in whichthe coin-controlled delivery mechanism is housed. The cabinet alsocontains a shelf 11' on which rests the supply of merchandise orarticles 12 to be delivered, the same being arranged in a'stackf' orpile in an upright magazine 13 rising from the shelf. There is an opening between the bottom of the magazine and the shelfto permit thearticles to be ejected, this being done by a slidable pusher 14 workingon top of the shelf and adapted to be carried forwardly against thepackage or article at the bottom of the stack to slide thesamerearwardly from beneath the latter, whereupon it drops on an incline15 in the cabinet, beneath the shelf, and leading to a delivery openingin-the front wall of the cabinet, and slides down the incline to saidopening.

The cabinet 10 also incloses an upright magazine 16 containing a supply17 of coins of a certain denomination. This magazine rises from a shelf18, and at the rear of the shelf and the bottom of the magazine is acoin discharge opening 19 normally closed by a hinged gate 20. The coinsare ejected singly from the magazine by a slidable pusher 21 operatingon the shelf 18 and adapted, when advanced, to push the coin at thebottom of the stack through the open- 2 which work pins 23 extendingfrom the sides of the pusher. Across the guide plates, above the pusher,extends a plate 24 which supports a frame carrying a spring motor, saidframe being of suitable design to support the motor and its associateparts. The frame includes three laterally spaced upright plates 25, 26and 27, respectively.

Between the frame plates 25 and 26 is located aspiral spring 28 madefast at its inner end to a shaft 29 journalcd in said plates and in theplate27, and anchored at its outer end to a cross pin 30 carried'by theplates 25 and 26. On the shaft 29 is loosely mounted a spur gear 31adapted-to receive motion from the shaft in one direction through apawl-and-ratchet mechanism, a ratchet wheel 32 being fast on the shaftand having its} teeth engageable by a pivoted, spring-pressed pawl 33mounted on one side of the gear.

' The gear 31 is connected by a train of 7 gears to a shaft 34 journaledthe plates at 26 and 27, and having a ratchet wheel, 35. which isengageable by a pivoted detent'36,

pin 52 on the former.

the latter extending from a rock shaft journaled in the plates 26 and27. From the rock shaft extends an actuating arm 38 the swing of whichin a direction to disengage the detent being limited by a stop 39.

, On the shaft 29, outside the plate 25, is

made fast an angle lever the two arms or tened vto one side of theslidable article pusher 14 by one of the pins23. This abutment extendsoutward far enough to come behind a post 43 rising from the'top of thepusher 2 1, to actuate the latter, upon striking the post; The pusher 21is retracted by a spring 44 anchoredat one end-to the post 43 and at theother end to a post 45 rising from the shelf 18. A stop pin 46 risingfrom the shelf 18 limits the rerward or return movement of the pusher21, A. spring 47 is also connected to the pusher 14 for retracting thesame, and this movement of the pusher is limited by the pins and slots22.

Above the mechanism hereinbefore described is a shelf 48 which extendsfrom the front wall of the cabinet 10 and supports a slide bar 49 forcarrying into the machine the coin by which it is controlled, said barhaving an aperture 50 of the samediameter, as the coin by which themachine is designed to be controlled. WVhen the slide bar is extended inits normal coin-receiving position, the aperture 50 is in line with anaperture 51 in the shelf 48 and of smaller diameter, so that a coin or acheck smaller than the proper coin will drop through and thus pre ventthe machine from being fraudulently operated. Complete withdrawal of theslide bar from the cabinet is prevented by a stop Inside the cabinet 10,the shelf 48 has a coin aperture 53 through which the coin is adapted todrop, and beneath the shelf, in line with the aperture is a coin chute54 leading to a receptacle 55. .In the rear wall 54F of this chute is anaperture 56 through which is adapted to be projected a pusher finger 57pivotally carried by a shaft 58 supported by the plate 26 and the sidewalls of the cabinet. A spring 59 connected to the finger 57 tends toswing the same in 1 the direction of the aperture 56.

In the chute 54, in front of the aperture 56, is mounted agate 60 thesame being pivoted at the top, as shown at 61, to the side walls of thechute. This gate normally extends with a downward inclination across thechute, its lower free edge resting on spaced flanges or ribs 62 on therear wall 54*, said ribs being located on opposite sides of the aperture56, and being spaced apart 7 ing 56, the gate 60 has an aperture 63which is in line with the finger 57.

The gate '60 has an arm 64 extending lat-' erally from one of its sideedges and the outer end of this arm has a bend 65 which is positioned toengage the arm 38 for tripping v the detent 36. A spring 66 connectedtothe arm-"64 tends-to swing the gate in the dire-etion of the chute wall54% 5 l V 7 On the end of the gate 60 oppositethe end from which the arm64 extends is an outstanding finger 67 which is-in the pathof the leverarm 41, the outerend of'the latter being cam-shaped, as shown'at 68 sothat V whenit engages the pin it forces the same in a direction to swingthe gate away from the opening 56.

On the shaft 29 is alsofixed an arm 69 plate 7 2 carried by the shelf48, lifts the dog and trips it out'of engagement with the rear edge ofthe slide bar 49 for a purpose to be presently described; 1 r g Theoperation of the machine may be summarized as follows: i T

In the normal 'positionof the parts, the slide bar 49 is projecting fromthe cabinet so that a coin may be placed in the aperture 50. The gate 60is extending across the coin chute 54 with its free end resting on theribs 62, and the finger 57 is extending through the aperture 56 and alsothrough the gate aperture 63 as shown in Fig. 4. Upon pushing the slidebar'49 inward, the coin in the aperture '50 is carried into the cabinetand when it comes over the aperture 53 it drops through the same intothe chute and against the gate 60, and its progress: down the chute, isstopped. The coin is now seating over the-aperture 56' and between theribs 62 which latter are spaced to admit the coin' therebetween. Asshown in Fig. 5, the space between the ribs narrows downwardly to suchan extent that the coin cannot slide further when the finger 57 isretracted and it is then held between the ribs and by resting againstthe gate: On its inward movement, the rear end of the slide bar 49pushes against the finger 57 and retracts it against the tension of thespring 59, leaving the coin over the opening and supported solely by theribs 62 and the gate 60. This movementof the finger 5-7 is simultaneouswiththe drop of the coin to the gate 60. Shortly after the finger 57swings back as described, therear end of the slide engages the dogandthrough the arm 69 turns the shaft 29 in a directionv to wind thespring 28. The slide bar 49 is now released, whereupon the finger 57 isswung forwardly by the spring 59 through the opening 56, and uponstriking the coinrover the latter it presses the coin againstthe gate 60causing the latter to swing back. This movement of the gate carriesthebend 65 in a direction to disengage the arm 38 and release the detent36. The train of gears being now released, the shaft 29 is freed to berotated by the spring 28, and the lever arm 40 swings in a direction toengage the abutment 42 and advance the pushers l4 and 21 to eject thelowermost article from the stack 12 and a coin from the magazine 16.More than one coin may be ejected by increasing the thickness of thepusher 21 to correspond to the combined thickness of the number of coinsto be ejected simultaneously.- When the shaft 29 is turning to effectthe ejecting operation, the arm 69 swings forward, and the dog 70 istripped off the rear edge of the slide bar 49 by the pin 71 riding upthe incline 72. This is for the purpose of preventing the slide bar frombeing thrown forwardly with such force as to injure the operator. Whenthe lever arm 40 swings to operate the article pushers, the lever arm 41swings forwardly and its cam edge 64 engages the finger 67 to'hold thegate 60 open, and when the slide bar 49 is again pushed in for anotheroperation, the lever arm leaves the finger and allows the gate to bepulled back to the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5 by the spring 66.

The spring 28 is rewound after each delivery stroke, and hence afterbeing in itially wound, it remains under sufiicient tension to operatethe article pushers. After the gate 60 is forced back by the advancingfinger 5'7 pushing the coin thereagainst, the latter is pushed into thechute and drops down .the same into the box 55.

The pushers 14 and 21 are normally advanced, and they are retracted intoposition for ejecting the article and the coin, by the springs 47 and 44when the slide bar 49 is pushed inwardly, the lever arm 40 then swingingback through the movement imparted by the dog 70 and arm 69 to the shaft29 in a direction to wind the spring 28 as hereinbefore described.

In order that the number of coins to be ejected from the magazine 16 maybe varied, the side walls of the latter are carried a short distancebelow the shelf, and have their inner faces provided with guide grooves16 in which is adapted to be supported a plate 20 having slots 20. Thisplate forms abottom for the magazine and the stack of coins reststhereon. When the plate is positioned as shown in Fig. 1, its top isflush with the bottom of the pusher 21, and hence if the thickness ofthe latter corresponds to actuated it ejects the two coins with which itcomes directly into contact, and also the coin or coins below thesame.The pusher has depending pins 21 *.to engage the aforementioned coin orcoins below the same, and these pins work inrthe slots 20, of the plate2W. The gate20 is behind the plate 20*, and swings open as hereinbeforedescribed to allow the coins to pass. r

1 claim: I

1. In. a coin-controlled vending machine, an article ejector, ejectoroperating means, a detent for locking the ejector operating means, acoin-chut'e, means for delivering a coin into the chute,'a pivotedmember in the chute and having an opening, means carried by said memberfor operating the detent to release. the ejector operating means, meansin the chute for supporting a coin over the opening in the pivotedmember,.and means controlled by the aforesaid. coin-delivery means forpushing the coin against the pivoted member for swinging the same tooperate the detent.

2. In a coin-controlled vending machine, an article ejector, ejectoroperating means, a detent for locking the ejector operating means, acoin-chute having an opening in its wall, means for delivering a coininto the chute, a pivoted member in the chute opposite the opening inthe wall thereof, said member also having an opening and normallyextending across the chute to act as a barrier for the coin, meanscarried by said member for operating the detent, and means controlled bythe aforesaid coin-delivery means for pushing the coin against thepivoted member for swinging the same to operate the detent. V

3. In a coin-controlled vending machine, an article ejector, a springmotor, .a shaft operated by said motor, lever arms extending from theshaft, one of said arms operating the ejector and the other arm beingadapted to turn the motor shaft in a direction to wind the motor spring,a detent for locking the motor, coin-controlled means for opcrating thedetent to release the motor, and

locking: the motor, ooin-eontrolled means for operatingithedetentto-release the motor, a eiitie; bdliifOB delivering 21,100111111130 thema 'chine, andia pivoteddogcarried by theiaioresaid spring avlndang arm;and engageable by the slide bar:fon-aetuating saiderm to Windthezsprlng. I

In. a :couroontrolled: Vending: machine,

an. article; ej ector, 1a spring motor, a shaft lee in the motor,coin-controlled means for operating the detenteto release themotor, aslide bar for'delivering a coin into the machine; a pivoted dog carriedby the afore- Said spring-Winding arm 'and engegeable hythe slidebillffOIEiICtlliltlIlg-StLlCl arm to WlIlCl the .s.pr1ng, and means fortripping the dog iawayfrom the slide bar on the return stroke thereof. t

6.111 a OOIIL GOIliZIOllBCl Vending machine,

an article ejector, ejector operating means,

a :detent ior lockingi the ejector operating means, a coin-chute,arpivoted member in the ohuteian'd havlng'an openlng, meansoer memes ried by said memherfonoperating the detent. to release the: ejeotoroperating means, means ingthe' chute for supportingja coin ever theopening inithe pivotedmember, a slide jfiOIfldQliVQIiHgi a coing-intothe-chute, ZilltlgIllQghIlSCOIllJrOHGCl by the slide for pushinga coinagainst the, :pivotedmeinheriol inging 111165 31116 to-operate thedetent J7. In a coin-controlled Vending machine, enartiole-ej ector, ejeotonopemtillg. means, a detent "for hlooking the ejector operatingmeans, a coin-chute, a pivoted member in the chute and having anopening,means 'carried by .saidtmembervifor operating-the de-v tent torelease-jthe ejector; operating means, means in theichutefory-snpp.orting-;-a"coin over the OJDGJiiDg; in the pivoted member, aglide fo zclelivering a ooininto the chute, (11 fl {avpivotedspring-actuated finger control led ,hythe slide for pushing a'ooinagainst the pivoted member for; swinging the same toiiopel'ate thedetent. J

In testimony whereof I :afliX my signature in the presence oftwowitnesses.

a SALVADQR CLAPERS.

:lVitnesses 7 E.WALTON BREWI-NGTON, \HOTWARD D. AnAMs.

